our vision 16/17 - ucem · 2016-05-23 · our vision 16/17 realising your potential in the built...

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University College of Estate Management

Our Vision 16/17

Realising your potential in the Built Environment

SUPPORTED ONLINE LEARNINGWITH UCEM.AC.UK

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Introduction

We are delighted to provide a summary of University College of Estate Management strategy to 2019. Starting with the institution’s core purpose and vision, this document sets out our foundational and primary goals, as well as how our progress will be measured. The document concludes with a summary of UCEM’s values and guiding principles.

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Contents

Principal and CEO statement 03

What we do 04

Where we operate 06

Strategic plan 08Core purpose

Strategic plan 102019 Vision

Strategic plan 12Foundational goal 1: New work environment

Strategic plan 14Foundational goal 2: Operational excellence

Strategic plan 16Foundational goal 3: Financial sustainability

Strategic plan 18Primary goal 1: Academic excellence

Strategic plan 20Primary goal 2: Growth

Strategic plan 22Primary goal 3: Independent institution

Measurement and values 24

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UCEM Principal and CEOAshley Wheaton

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In 2019 UCEM will be celebrating its 100th anniversary. As an institution with such a rich history and heritage, we recognise that evolution is also necessary in order to continue meet the current and future needs of our students and industry.

As part of the obligation to fulfil our Royal Charter, we plan to build upon our success, growing our student numbers, further enhancing our academic delivery model and providing an even better student experience, whilst carefully considering how best to support our students, industry and employer partners with the evolution of both new and complementary study programmes.

UCEM continues to take the lead in providing online higher education, with our stated ambition of moving our entire course offering to 100% online delivery (including the option of online exams), providing a best-in-class student experience using the most advanced learning materials and technologies. We remain committed to providing an excellent experience for students irrespective of their geographical location and giving them the maximum flexibility to study both when and where they wish. It is our vision that by 2019 we will be the leading, vocational, online university.

The Five-Year Strategic Plan, which takes the institution up to its centenary year in 2019, sets out the very clearly defined aims for UCEM, and articulates the key goals for the institution, all of which contribute to the overall Student Experience: growing student numbers; focusing on academic excellence; becoming a fully independent institution; developing a new work environment; being operationally excellent; and creating financial sustainability.

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What we doUCEM offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, as well as providing professional development courses and tailor-made corporate training courses. Our active research programme contributes towards sharing knowledge across the profession, benefiting businesses, practitioners and policymakers alike. UCEM prides itself on the following:

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Being a leading online provider specialising in accessible, relevant and cost-effective education

Being an institution with great industry recognition

which provides professionally accredited qualifications

Providing a choice from a wide range of modules which allow students to map their

chosen career pathway

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Presenting options to study flexibly whilst working,

spreading the cost of studying and enhancing students’ careers

Providing supported online learning with professional support staff, as well as committed tutors

who are practitioners in their fields

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Canada

United States

Mexico

Venezuela

Colombia

BrazilPeru

Bolivia

ChileArgentina

Greenland

Iceland

FinlandSweden

Norway

Ireland UK

Russia

UkraineFrance

Spain

ItalyTurkey

Kazakhstan

Algeria

Mali

LibyaEgypt

IranIraq

SaudiArabia

NigerChad Sudan

NigeriaEthiopia

Kenya

DR CongoTanzania

Angola

Namibia

South Africa

MadagascarBotswana

India

Pakistan

AfghanistanChina

Mongolia

JapanSouth Korea

Thailand

Indonesia

Australia

PapuaNew Guinea

NewZealand

Philippines

Seychelles

Mauritius

Where we operateUCEM is a truly international institution offering students the convenience of studying from anywhere in the world and being able to access our programmes from home or on the move. Programmes in Real Estate, Property and Construction provide students with the highest quality supported online learning enhancing their academic knowledge, employability and career prospects.

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* Exam centres in the British Isles

England Manchester Birmingham Exeter Reading Chelmsford

Northern Ireland Belfast

Republic of Ireland Dublin

Isle of Man Douglas

Scotland Edinburgh

Wales Cardiff

Guernsey St Peter Port

Jersey St Saviour

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Canada

United States

Mexico

Venezuela

Colombia

BrazilPeru

Bolivia

ChileArgentina

Greenland

Iceland

FinlandSweden

Norway

Ireland UK

Russia

UkraineFrance

Spain

ItalyTurkey

Kazakhstan

Algeria

Mali

LibyaEgypt

IranIraq

SaudiArabia

NigerChad Sudan

NigeriaEthiopia

Kenya

DR CongoTanzania

Angola

Namibia

South Africa

MadagascarBotswana

India

Pakistan

AfghanistanChina

Mongolia

JapanSouth Korea

Thailand

Indonesia

Australia

PapuaNew Guinea

NewZealand

Philippines

Seychelles

Mauritius

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This core purpose statement serves as an anchor point for all of UCEM’s ongoing decisions and activities.

With our own Taught Degree Awarding Powers (TDAP) and recently acquired University College title, UCEM is now focusing on three primary goals: Academic Excellence, Institutional Independence, and, most importantly, Growth.

These three primary goals will be supported by three foundational goals: New Work Environment, Operational Excellence and Financial Sustainability. The diagram opposite demonstrates how the 2019 goals will collectively enable UCEM to achieve its core purpose and deliver the overall Student Experience.

UCEM’s 2014-2019 strategic plan covers the period leading up to a significant milestone in the institution’s history: UCEM will reach its centenary year in 2019. To support clarity of vision during this period UCEM has developed a core purpose statement which interprets the objects set out in its Royal Charter:

To provide truly accessible, relevant and cost-effective education, enabling students to enhance careers, increase professionalism and contribute to a better Built Environment.

Core purpose

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Student experience

Academic excellence Growth Independent instituition

New work environment Operational excellence Financial sustainability

2019 Vision Core purpose

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UCEM’s long and valued heritage makes us world leaders in our field. Our unique experience, along with our recently won Taught Degree Awarding Powers and university college title, provide us with an unrivalled platform for future success.

2019 Vision

As our centenary year approaches in 2019, we are ever closer to achieving our vision of being ‘the Leading, Vocational, Online University’. In practical terms, this means we deliver a ‘best-in-class’

student experience and provide the best resources for both students and employers who want to realise their full potential in the Built Environment.

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85.6%of students would recommendCEM as a place to studyi-graduate student survey, autumn 2014

90.69%of students were satisfied with CEMi-graduate student survey, autumn 2014

of students would recommend CEM as a place to study85.6%

i-graduate student survey, autumn 2014

85.6%

85.6%

of students wouldrecommend CEMas a place to study



94%of students are satisfied with theacademic content of UCEM’s programmes

96.1%of students are satisfied with thesubject area expertise of UCEM tutors

i-graduate student survey, autumn 2015 i-graduate student survey, autumn 2015

92%of students are satisfied with UCEM’sStudent Support, Finance and IT Support


95.8%of students are satisfied withthe ease of submitting coursework


more than

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“I chose UCEM because they offered a concise and interesting course available as distance learning. The course is RICS-accredited, so will enable me to do my APC during my course’s fi nal years. Distance learning allows me to put into practice what I have learnt instantly. I like online learning because I can easily track my progress and understand expectations. So far, my experience with the tutors and cohorts has been fantastic. We support each other by answering each other’s questions in the chatrooms where the classroom-style setting makes learning enjoyable.”

Phoebe Farrell, BSc (Hons) Real Estate ManagementSurveying Executive, Jones Lang LaSelle

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Foundational goal 1:New work environment

Staff development is also a key component of our strategy. We will support initiatives at organisational, team and individual levels which enhance skills aligned with business goals in areas such as online teaching, leadership and management, and technical capabilities.

UCEM already supports a dispersed student base located in approximately 100 countries and a distributed workforce, with a pool of associate tutors who teach subjects allied to their specialism. We will develop a technology-enabled flexible working strategy that reflects UCEM’s future business needs.

Staff engagement is critical to UCEM’s success. We will continue to embed systems and processes that support a new performance culture. These will include building staff awareness of, and commitment to, key business goals and regularly celebrating success whilst also measuring and benchmarking staff satisfaction levels.

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UCEM Tutor conference >





85.6%

85.6%











more than

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Foundational goal 2:Operational excellence

An annual process of planning (in line with the strategic plan), target-setting and financial budgeting ensure a clear framework for success. Additionally we are taking a progressive approach to upgrading IT systems in support of core business processes, coupled with a more detailed, data-driven view of operations and outcomes, allowing a more evidence-based approach to planning and ongoing

management. This will enhance the effectiveness of UCEM operations and improve the student experience.

We will also sharpen our focus on all aspects of sustainability, both internally in the context of business efficiency, and externally across all our programmes, so that we equip built environment professionals with a deep understanding of sustainability issues relating to their industry.

In the last five years we have witnessed an explosion in interest in online learning worldwide, as new challenges emerge to traditional higher education models. Our goal is to ensure that UCEM operational systems support our staff and students alike to ensure the most effective and efficient working practices.

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85.6%

85.6%











more than

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“I fi rst heard about how prestigious CEM is on delivering courses via distance learning from my mentor at Davis Langdon and Seah Philippines who gave me the opportunity to study a PG Diploma in QS under a company sponsorship. Since I came from a country where QS is not a known profession and no QS course is available, CEM was the answer to my dream to be a QS chartered surveyor.

Distance learning is a new term for me at that time and I was hesitant that it might not be as effective as face to face teaching. But, I was wrong. The VLE and the tutors gave me the opportunity to feel that I was actually interacting with them in real time. Entry requirements are tough, tutors were scrutinising submissions to ensure that quality is well maintained throughout the course. The VLE provided a platform for forum discussion and has been helpful in my assignments.”

Julie Christie Marquez dela Cruz, Post Graduate Diploma in Surveying (QS Division)Graduated in 19 August 2005

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Foundational goal 3:Financial sustainability

As a not-for-profit organisation with charitable status, our goal over the next five years is to improve financial performance year-on-year with the clear ambition of achieving, long-term, financial sustainability by delivering an annual operating surplus.

This surplus will in turn allow further investment in the Academic Offer, both in terms of enhancing the student experience and developing new programmes of study without the need to call on reserves.

UCEM’s core financial strength is derived from its balance sheet and reserves position.

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85.6%

85.6%











more than

Recruiting students at UCAS fairs throughout the UK >

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Primary goal 1:Academic excellence

As part of our 2019 vision, we have completed the first phase of developing all our course materials in a fully online format. Future phases of our academic offer will involve enhancing our Virtual Learning Environment and online learning model, including online assessment. We will also introduce an innovative staff development programme to develop academic staff capabilities that will help to place us at the forefront of online learning in the UK and beyond.

We aim to stretch our students minds so that they can shape the future and deal confidently with uncertainty. Increased student involvement will enhance the quality of the learning experience and

increase student recruitment, retention and achievement. We will provide learning designed to be truly engaging to a dispersed student audience, along with strong and consistent support from tutors as a firm foundation for student success. We will offer a globalised learning experience which will recognise the individual learning needs of students and help them apply their knowledge and skills in a variety of situations. We will also ensure that students’ feedback and suggestions are recognised and valued.

Connectivity with the industry we serve is an essential component of our vocational focus. We aim to recognise the value of the workplace as a source of learning

UCEM was granted TDAP with effect from 1 January 2013. As an independent provider, our retention of TDAP following the initial six-year period will be subject to a re-assessment of our academic standards by QAA during the 2016/17 academic year. Our aim will be to demonstrate to QAA assessors that we have not only maintained academic standards but that we have also enhanced them since the initial TDAP scrutiny was carried out in 2011/12.

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and prepare students for work in a world of increasing complexity and change. Employer engagement activities will include identifying companies that are prepared to offer support for teaching and learning in a variety of ways, such as case studies, scenarios, projects as assessment vehicles and resources developed from ‘live projects’. We will offer students at the beginning of their careers the opportunity to be supported by employer mentors drawn mainly from our alumni community to enrich their learning experience.

We will introduce a new research model designed to develop research capacity and establish a research culture within our new faculty structure.

This new model will include:

➜Enabling existing academic staff to realise their research potential

➜Supporting scholarships and promoting student research projects

➜Establishing two new research centres, the Online Research Centre and the Property and Construction Research Centre, which will act as hubs for collaborative arrangements with research centres at other HEIs and partnerships with professional bodies and industry stakeholders

➜Ensuring research informs and enriches curriculum development.

The UCEM Virtual Learning Environment

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Primary goal 2:Growth

We will develop relationships with key employers in the property and construction industries so that we become their HE provider of choice. Our flexible, online delivery model will enable employers to sponsor their staff to study UCEM programmes at all levels irrespective of location, both in the UK and overseas. We will also work with employers to offer technician and degree-level apprenticeships for young people entering the property and construction industries.

Relationships with professional bodies for the built environment will remain central to our strategy. We will extend the range of professional bodies that recognise and accredit our programmes, in line with our mission as a vocational provider of higher education.

We will also strengthen our international engagement, building on our success in established international markets such as Hong Kong.

We will use TDAP to develop and deliver new degree programmes that address identified needs in the built environment industries, working with employers, professional bodies and other stakeholders. These programmes may cover any subject areas and professional disciplines that are consistent with our core purpose.

We will also develop training and continuing professional development (CPD) programmes that help our students and alumni update their professional skills and acquire knowledge of emerging topics.

Throughout this five year plan we intend to achieve sustainable year-on-year growth in total student numbers worldwide. This will increase the impact of our work and ensure that we enable more people to benefit from our core purpose.

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UCEM apprenticeship workshop >

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Primary goal 3:Independence

We have now outgrown our current premises at the Whiteknights campus in Reading which the College has occupied for more than 40 years. We will move to new offices in the local area which can offer us a modern, fit-for-purpose work environment. This move will help us to achieve our growth objectives.

We will conclude the delivery of our externally validated programmes which we offered with university partners until we acquired TDAP, while maintaining existing levels of support for students on these programmes. We will then focus exclusively on developing and delivering UCEM-validated programmes.

As part of our journey towards full independence we have achieved University College status. This is an important step towards our vision for 2019 which involves achieving full University Title (UT). University status will further enhance our brand and profile, and international recognition of our degrees. We will redefine our brand as an independent institution and clarify our proposition to students, employers and stakeholders in line with our core purpose.

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UCEM industry launch >

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UCEM’s values are as follows:

➜Student-focussed: maintaining a clear focus on supporting students to achieve their full educational potential

➜Inclusive: listening to everyone’s point of view, respecting individuals and valuing contributions made

➜Solution-seeking: responding positively to challenges and constantly striving to improve and develop

➜Innovative: exploring new ideas and creative thinking to keep UCEM evolving

➜Quality-driven: ensuring we do everything to a consistently high standard

➜Trusted: enhancing our reputation and protecting our heritage so that we can all - staff and students alike - be proud of our association with UCEM.

These KPIs will then be measured annually, quarterly or monthly, to assess progress against targets. The framework for measurement will be based on a

model which aligns all individual and departmental objectives with the goals described previously.

Measurement and values

UCEM’s values act as guiding principles that dictate the behaviours and actions of staff across the organisation and define their relationship with students and other stakeholders.

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We will measure our achievement and progress against our strategic goals by establishing key performance indicators (KPIs).

Measurement

Values

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Accessible, fl exible and cost-effective education producing leading talent for a better Built Environment

www.ucem.ac.uk

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36169/190516

University College of Estate Management Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire RG6 6AW

Freephone UK: 0800 019 9697International: +44 (0)118 921 [email protected]

www.ucem.ac.uk

Patron: HRH The Prince of Wales


Accessible, flexible and cost-effective education producing leading talent for a better Built Environment

Programmes accredited by:

our vision 16/17 - ucem · 2016-05-23 · our vision 16/17 realising your potential in the built...

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